How to Fulfill God’s Will | Does God’s Word Reveal God’s Will?
God’s will for your life is hidden within the pages of His Word. If you obey God’s Word, you will be fulfilling His will for your life. It is never God’s will for us to do something contrary to His Word. If your course of action is against God’s Word, then it is against God’s […]
Revival Fire | How Can I Spread the Fire of God?
Fire on the day of Pentecost The purpose of the Holy Spirit’s fire can be vividly seen in the account of the day of Pentecost. John the Baptist had promised that Jesus would “…baptize…with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Matthew 3:11). Jesus promised this baptism of the Holy Spirit to the disciples immediately before […]
Revival Fire | How can I Keep the Fire of God Bright in my Life?
Once upon a time, there were a bunch of monkeys living in a forest. When men came to the forest, the monkeys were intrigued by the fires the men built. As the men sat around their campfire, the monkeys would longingly watch the beautiful, sparkling fire. When the men went to bed, the monkeys would […]
Revival Fire | How does Satan Attack an On-Fire Christian?
How Satan tries to put out the fire Satan will attack the on-fire Christian with everything in his arsenal. If outright trials and tribulations do not work, he will employ subtle distractions and excuses to slowly quench the original fire. Here are some of the tricky techniques Satan will use to try to quench your […]
Revival Fire | Have you Lost the Fire of God?
Some like it hot, some like it cold… “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm-neither hot nor cold-I am about to spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:15-16). Jesus, the faithful and true witness, spoke these […]
Revival Fire | How is God Like a Fire?
Throughout the Bible, fire is used as a symbol to portray God. As I was writing this, I asked myself, “Why is fire used to represent God?” After thinking about the question, I realized that God reveals Himself in the physical world as a fire, because the hot, intense, burning of a fire expresses, in […]
Revival Fire | Are You Spreading the Fire of God?
Fire on the day of Pentecost The purpose of the Holy Spirit’s fire can be vividly seen in the account of the day of Pentecost. John the Baptist had promised that Jesus would “…baptize…with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Matthew 3:11). Jesus promised this baptism of the Holy Spirit to the disciples immediately before […]
Revival Fire | How does Satan Prevent Christians from Spreading God’s Fire?
Fire by its very nature spreads. A fire that is not spreading will go out. In the same way, a Christian that is not spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, will begin to cool down and eventually go out. Fire spreads When I was nine years old I saw a house on fire. With bells […]
Revival Fire | How Can I Catch the Fire of God?
Recently, I went on a mission trip to the country of Jamaica. Our group experienced powerful ministry at churches and evangelistic crusades. Hundreds of people were saved and many miraculous healings were reported. The days in Jamaica were extremely hot and quite humid, so as we walked through neighborhoods inviting people to church, we quickly […]
Revival Fire | What is the Fire of God?
The fire of God is the burning passion which exists in the hearts of those who are committed to serving God. This fire creates an appetite for righteousness. Fire produces love, reverence, and passion for God. Fire is found in the fervor and intensity of worship. Fire falls when God’s children yearn to be […]
Grace Wins | Why do we need both Grace and Truth?
Jesus was full of both grace and truth. John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” Our preaching should also be full of both grace and truth. When we preach about grace we reveal […]
Grace Wins | Does the Holy Spirit convict us of sin?
Romans 8:1 proclaims, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” After I preached on this verse one time, a friend asked me, “But doesn’t the Holy Spirit convict us of sin?” “Yes,” I had to say, “That’s true. But there is a major difference between Satan’s condemnation and the Holy Spirit’s […]
Grace Wins | Should we keep the Ten Commandments?
I don’t think the grace empowered believer should throw out the Ten Commandments. Several times, Paul mentions the Ten Commandments. For example in Ephesians 6:2, Paul tells children to honor their parents. If the Ten Commandments were passed away, why would Paul be mentioning them? However, our understanding of the Ten Commandments is to be […]
Grace Wins | Why is the Law of Love the Strongest Law?
Laws let us know when we are doing something right or something wrong. In order to illustrate this, let’s consider the speed limit. Often when I am driving around town, I see a sign that says, “45 MPH.” The sign informs me of the speed that experts think should be maintained for that […]
Grace Wins | What is the Most Radical Verse in the Bible?
Recently, I was invited to share at a Bible study. One man stood up and prophesied that God was about to judge America. He announced, “Because America has allowed abortions, homosexuality, and blatant sexual sins, God is angry at America.” He continued, “In Deuteronomy 28 there are five curses for every blessing. If you do […]
Grace Wins | Under grace, does it matter what we do here on this earth?
1. When Jesus returns, we will be rewarded for everything we have done on the earth. “For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works” (Matthew 16:27). While the word “rewarded” usually has positive connotations, here it does not have […]
Grace Wins | Is God Judging Me?
The truth is that there are three different types of judgment—past, present, and future. Past judgmentFirst, there is a judgment that has happened in the past. This is the judgment for sin that Jesus paid for at the cross. God poured out all of His wrath and anger on Jesus. Since Jesus paid the full price […]
Grace Wins | What Should be Our Response to those Living in Sin?
So, what should our response be to those who are under grace, maybe even preaching grace, but are still living sinful lives? 1. Have mercy, because you could fall yourself. “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted” (Galatians […]
Grace Wins | How does Grace Empower Me to Live a Holy Life?
How did Jesus live a sinless life? He was fully God, but He was also fully man. It was as a human that He resisted temptation. The temptation He faced was the same as the temptations we face today. Jesus “was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). So how can we resist […]
Grace Wins | How does the Grace of God turn into Lewdness?
The tendency to use grace as an excuse for sin is nothing new—it was an issue for the early Church as much as the church today. Jude, a leader in the early church, wrote to address this concern. Let’s look at his book for wisdom and understanding of this issue. “>Jude begins by writing, “Beloved, while […]
Grace Wins | Five Reasons to Avoid Sin even under Grace
There are several reasons why we should avoid sin. 1. Sin has consequences. The eternal law of sowing and reaping still applies, even to those who have been forgiven. If you sow sin, you will reap destruction in your life. Even if you are forgiven in the eyes of God, here on this earth, sin will destroy […]
Grace Wins | Is Grace Earned?
What do you have to do to go to heaven? Do you have to be baptized? Do you have to read your Bible every day? Do you have to go to church every Sunday? Let’s ask the thief on the cross next to Jesus. He simply said to Jesus, “Remember me.” In the next moment Jesus […]
Grace Wins | Is Grace a Reward for Pleasing God?
A reward only comes for a good deed. Grace is given, not because of something you have done, it is given because of something Jesus has done. Grace always upsets religious people. Why? Because then all the things they do (and tell others to do) don’t matter anymore—suddenly they are no better than you and […]
Grace Wins | Is Grace Cheap?
Grace cannot be earned or it’s not grace anymore. Besides who could afford the great price of grace? Dietrich Bonhoeffer compares cheap grace (grace without a price) with costly grace (grace that cost the blood of God’s Son). He writes, “Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of […]
Grace Wins | The Law Does Not Work
God gives the Israelites the Ten Commandments to show the seriousness of their sins. First, He reminds them of His goodness, “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself” (Exodus 19:4). He points out that He delivered them from Egypt through His […]
Grace Wins | Should the Believer Confess Sin?
Let’s look at one of the most controversial issues in the message of “radical grace.” 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” First, I want to say up front that I believe in this verse and I preach […]
Grace Wins | Why is the New Covenant Important?
My wife Jessica noticed that my t-shirts were starting to look ratty because of holes and stains. She went to the store and bought me brand new t-shirts. When she returned home, she threw all my old shirts into the trash. To make room for the new, she threw out the old. The same thing […]
Grace Wins | Grace Changes your Motivation for doing Good Works
I am not married because I help my wife, Jessica, in the kitchen; I help my wife in the kitchen because I am married. When I help Jessica with housework, my work does not make me more married. I simply help her because I’m her husband. In the same way, you cannot become more righteous […]
Grace Wins | Why Should We Do Good Works?
“Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:17). In this passage, the word “works” means “corresponding actions.” In other words, your actions correspond (line up) with what you believe. If you have faith, then you will have corresponding action. But action without corresponding faith is just as dead. […]
Grace Wins | What Does Circumcision Teach Us about Grace?
One of the key themes of Galatians is identity. The identity of the Jews was very much wrapped up in the Law—the rite of circumcision being a significant sign of this identity. While circumcision is not an issue in the church today, the principle of what Paul says regarding circumcision is applicable to many situations […]